Get a Library Card

Present one document to prove residency in the Town or Village of New Paltz:

a lease for a New Paltz apartment

any proof of ownership of a home in New Paltz. This can include a town or village land tax bill

a current voter registration card

a valid ID from Ulster County Social Services

Gardiner or other Non-MHLS system residents:

We’ve been answering many questions recently about why Gardiner residents are not eligible for free library cards from Elting Memorial Library. We can understand completely as it is, for various reasons, complicated. We will try to answer as many of those questions here as possible.

If I live in Gardiner, why can’t I take out books at Elting Memorial Library with my Gardiner Library card?

The main reason is that Elting Memorial Library is a member of the the Mid-Hudson Library System and the Gardiner Library is a member of the Ramapo-Catskill Library System. Each has a different library system, a different catalog, and different tax bases. Members of the Mid-Hudson Library System are allowed to check out material from any Mid-Hudson library and members of the Ramapo-Catskill System can use their card in that library system. However, by paying a $25 annual fee per person, Gardiner residents can check out material from the Elting Memorial Library. All of our programming, events, public computers, etc. are free for anyone, card holder or not.

Where does the funding for Elting Memorial Library come from?

85% of the funding (by a direct vote or “414 proposition”) comes from Town of New Paltz (including the Village) residents. Elting Memorial Library gets no funding at all from Town of Gardiner taxes or the New Paltz Central School District. Other funds for Elting Memorial Library come from fundraising events, donations, gifts, etc.

My child attends school in New Paltz, can they get a free library card?

Any child that attends school in New Paltz can receive a free card, courtesy of Elting Memorial Library.

I live in New Paltz and have received a free Gardiner Library card. How does that work

New Paltz taxpayers pay a small percentage of their school taxes to the Gardiner Library, therefore they are eligible for a Gardiner library card. This is why people who live in New Paltz are eligible for a card from Gardiner Library.

I live in Gardiner and receive mailings from the Elting Memorial Library. Can you please take me off the mailing list?

While the library does generate and uses a smaller mailing list of current patrons for certain events, we pay for a mailing service that sends general mailings to everyone within the New Paltz zip code, twice a year. Due to the way zip codes are assigned, this means that some Gardiner residents receive mailings from us. We apologize for this, but do not have control of this list.

Visit Our Library

Elting Memorial Library
93 Main Street
New Paltz, New York
(845) 255 - 5030Email the Library